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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23811442">like a train on a track</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife'>nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>just let them REST alex [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fireworks, Fluff, Gen, Rusty Quill Gaming Exchange 2020, Team Bonding, Team as Family, mention of quarantine once in passing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:53:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23811442</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>after quarantine is over and the mission's work is done, they watch some fireworks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom &amp; Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan &amp; Zolf Smith &amp; Azu &amp; Oscar Wilde, Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan &amp; Azu, Zolf Smith &amp; Oscar Wilde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>just let them REST alex [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1514891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Gaming Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>like a train on a track</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BromeliadDreams/gifts">BromeliadDreams</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title is from "the dog days are over" by florence and the machine- (Happiness hit her like a train on a track/Coming towards her stuck still no turning back)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The week of quarantine is (blessedly) up, and Barnes and Carter have wandered off somewhere else in the inn, and the de-brief is finally done, when Cel clears their throat.</p><p>“I, uh, don’t know if I’m gonna, well, I’m still thinking about- our little chats, and what I’m gonna do, but, I actually, before this, was working on something? You know fireworks, right, well I’ve been working on making these special ones, right like these enchanted shapes, and some of ‘em have turned out really cool and some of them <em>did</em> explode on me once, but anyway, would you all like to come and see me set them off, tonight?”</p><p>Hamid blinks a bit after they’ve finished, processing the deluge of words, before a small, delighted smile creeps over his face.</p><p>“Oh, I would love to! It’s been ages since I’ve seen fireworks,” he says, before looking up at Azu.</p><p>Azu puts a hand on his shoulder. “I would love to as well. I... have never seen fireworks before, actually. Not as an event, I mean, I have seen them in the distance before.”</p><p>Zolf puts a hand on the back of his head awkwardly. “I, uh. I’ll come, if you want me there.”</p><p>“Of course I want you there, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked,” Cel says, willfully ignoring the weird energy they’ve been getting from between Hamid and Zolf.</p><p> </p><p>For the first time in- in a long time, Zolf works through the rest of the day with a small sense of delighted anticipation in his chest. Maybe it’s stupid, to get so worked up about fireworks like a kid, but given current events, he thinks they’re all due a little childish wonder. </p><p>As the sun starts to set, he realizes he never actually asked whether or not he, Hamid, and Azu were going to travel over to Cel’s village together, and it feels rude to ask now. He stops by Wilde’s office to let him know he’s leaving and pauses.</p><p>Oscar’s hunched over his desk, quietly and firmly working on paperwork, and he’s got that look on his face. The, “I am <em>working</em> and not thinking about things because if I think about things I’ll get <em>emotional</em> and I won’t be able to work” face that almost never means good things for Oscar’s emotional state.</p><p>Talking to him even after the quarantine is- difficult. For any number of reasons, but at least none of them are that Zolf actually dislikes Oscar. They’ve been through too much together for Zolf to ignore him when he's like this, so he sighs and pulls the door open further. </p><p>“Oscar?”</p><p>He stops writing but doesn’t turn around. “You’re leaving for the- thing, I assume?”</p><p>Zolf looks skyward for a second, and then crosses his arms. Zolf Smith has always been a stubborn bastard, especially when it comes to the well-being of his friends.</p><p>“Yeah. <em>We’re</em> going to Cel’s village to see them set off some fireworks.”</p><p>Oscar fully turns around at that. Now he has the stone cold, “I am working and my business is important and you’re being silly” face on, which is <em>almost</em> familiar from Before.</p><p>“Zolf. I’m busy. Have fun,” he says, and then turns back around.</p><p>“When’s the last time you took a break?” Zolf calls. “You working yourself to death doesn’t do anyone any favors. And everybody loves fireworks, Oscar.”</p><p>For some reason, that makes Oscar’s face tighten up for just a second, but Zolf can see he’s winning. It helps that Oscar is also aware of just how stubborn Zolf can get. It’s just that usually practicality won out when it was applied to him. Practicality can’t save him now.</p><p>“If I say no, are you going to physically drag me there?” Oscar asks, and Zolf feels a beat of triumph at the tiny undercurrent of teasing he can hear.</p><p>“Don’t be silly, I wouldn’t drag you, I’d carry you.”</p><p> </p><p>In the end, Oscar comes along, and they make it to Cel’s just as night has fallen. Jasper is waiting for them on the teashop’s porch, and waves them over. </p><p>“Cel and the others are out back, everything’s all set up! Would you like some tea?”</p><p>“Yeah, we’ll both take some.”</p><p>It takes a minute to weave around to the backside of the teashop, and everyone is waiting. Hamid and Azu have set out a picnic blanket that upon further inspection is three separate, smaller blankets overlaid on one another, meant to fit them all. </p><p>There is an open basket that Hamid is munching out of already, and he waves to them as they come into view. </p><p>“You guys, we were worried you weren’t going to make it! Cel’s inside, they said they had some ‘last minute ideas’- Jasper didn’t seem <em>too</em> worried so I assume everything’s fine? But I did hear a few explosions.”</p><p>As he finishes, there is a small, muffled <em>boom</em>, but it barely even shakes the ground, so Zolf shrugs. </p><p>“If he says they’re fine, they’re probably fine. Could we-?”</p><p>Azu scoots over and makes space between her and Hamid. Oscar starts to drift to the outside of the blanket, but Zolf grabs him and shoves him next to Azu. He scoots in between Oscar and Hamid. </p><p>It’s... nice. It’s <em>nice</em>, to be able to do this, do just sit and snack and <em>be</em> with people again. They sit together for a few minutes, casual chatter flowing between them without any stress for the first time in weeks, and then Cel opens the door. </p><p>“Okay everybody, Jasper’s told all the villagers we’re doing this so nobody freaks out and the first batch is ready to go up! You uh, may wanna cover your ears!”</p><p>Zolf does so, thankfully, as do the others, as Cel puts a small cylinder on the ground and sets it on fire. It shoots up into the sky and explodes violently, and it’s <em>beautiful</em>. (And <em>very</em> loud.) The sparks are a deep, shimmering violet and they form the face of a snarling wolf for a moment before they dissipate. </p><p>Cel pulls out a variety of canisters, and there’s the image of a river flowing through mountains, of an elf waving a wand, an enormous chimera roaring... it’s <em>incredible</em>.</p><p>Zolf leans into his friends as the night goes on, and eventually the fireworks end. Cel is now covered in a thin sheen of soot from all the fire, but they seem happy enough to collapse into Azu’s side, and Azu doesn’t seem to mind the soot. </p><p>They end up falling asleep outside, all pressed into one another, and for the first time in a long while, Zolf feels safe.</p>
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